The Ugandan Rolex is a very popular snack sold by roadside vendors. It can be consumed at all hours of the day, and you will find the carts selling them everywhere. Think egg burrito.

A freshly made chapati is the usual wrapper for the rolex, but we’re using flour tortillas instead for ease and convenience. But you are welcome to make your own chapati if you have the time and skill!

The key to success here is a very light hand with the ingredients. Don’t try and cram too much into the eggs. And make sure to dice your vegetables very fine so that they will cook in just under a minute. I’m partial to using Savoy cabbage (if you can find it), because I think it is not as firm as regular cabbage. Most recipes don’t specify that though, and I’m sure regular green cabbage will work just as well. I also called for Roma tomatoes because they are meatier, and less juicy than regular tomatoes, but again, use whatever is convenient for you.

I am also including a link to an actual street vendor in Uganda preparing a rolex. Watch and learn!

Ingredients for one

1 (9-inch) flour tortilla

2 eggs

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Small handful finely sliced Savoy cabbage

1 tbsp. finely diced Roma tomato

1 tbsp. finely diced red onion

1 tbsp. finely diced green bell pepper

additional tomato or cabbage for garnish

optional hot sauce

additional salt

Directions

Heat the tortilla in a frying pan, about 45 seconds per side, to soften and warm. Don’t overdo it or the tortilla will be crispy, and you want it soft enough to roll. Set aside on a piece of tin foil large enough to roll up the omelet.

(Note: if you’re making several rolexes I would heat all the tortillas at once and keep them warm wrapped up in a dish towel.)

For each rolex, mix the eggs in a small bowl with the salt, cabbage, tomato, onion, and bell pepper. Heat up a frying pan, using a non-stick pan is pretty critical to the success of this operation, and I would advise also adding some additional oil to the pan. Pour in the egg mixture and spread out quickly. Let cook on one side until firm enough to flip, about one minute, depending on the heat of your pan. Flip and cook the other side for about a minute, or less.

Place the warmed tortilla on top of the omelet, and then carefully flip the whole thing over one more time so that the tortilla is on the bottom and receives an extra warming. Remove from pan and place on the piece of foil, or parchment paper, or if you were in Uganda, a piece of newspaper!

If you have any additional chopped tomato or cabbage to use up you could add a bit of that as a raw garnish on top of the eggs and sprinkle on another bit of salt. Add of squirt of your favorite hot sauce if desired. Roll up the tortilla and omelet together and then fold the foil or paper around it.

I think that if you put these into a plastic bag that will help them steam and keep warm until ready to serve. These can be cut in half for more moderate servings, or even thirds. To keep them together and easier to manage you should put a toothpick through each piece.

Country:
Uganda

Notes and Instructions

Recipe and photo credit: Linda McElroy

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